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Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles are out to save the
world, this time from criminals who are destroying the environment.
That was the theme of Philippine Powerpuff Girls 10th anniversary.
The big bash was held at the SM Mall of Asia last Sunday. Along with
other organizations, Haribon had a booth that heralded the benefits
of a healthy forest and a coastal area. It was an opportunity to
raise awareness on biodiversity conservation and to instill in
children who visited the booth that they can embody the traits of
the Powerpuff Girls, now that our world is besieged by the true Mojo
Jojos who are out to pollute our air and water and cut down the
remaining forests. Together with Haribon’s young ambassadors for
conservation, child celebrities BJ Forbes and Bea Binene, we had a
contest about Philippine endemic wildlife. I had a pleasant surprise
as most of the children recognized our unique animals and had very
good answers when asked about the benefits of the forest. However, I
am puzzled why this knowledge escapes adults. Maybe in the
transition from childhood to adulthood, memory gap happens. At the
same time, our inherent instinct for our natural environment
disappears and is replaced by a nurturing instinct for consumer
products that use up resources and degrade our environment.
The following day started very
early. At 6:30 in the morning, executives and employees of
Prudentialife did a pledge walk for Haribon on their pearl or 30th
anniversary at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The employees
were divided into groups and, much to our delight, each group
featured a flagship endemic species which they learned from a couple
of environmental education sessions Haribon conducted earlier this
year. “Caring for Creation” is their anniversary theme and this
will further be embodied in future rainforestation activities at the
Caliraya Watershed. Rainforestation or the planting of native trees
to revive our dying forests promotes Haribon’s advocacy to protect
our threatened biodiversity and their habitats. Rainforestation is
also a means to address climate change because native trees are
efficient in carbon sequestration. The impact of climate change
ranges from harming agriculture that threatens food security, rise
in sea-level, erosion of coastal zones, increasing natural
disasters, threats to biodiversity that lead to species extinction,
and the spread of diseases. These have clearly manifested our
growing vulnerability and worsening climate change.
Human activities that use
fossil-based fuels like coal, oil and natural gas emit carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere. The release of carbon dioxide due to
human activities warms the atmosphere. For example, our average
annual household carbon dioxide emission as we use electrical
household appliances is 0.93 tons. At least four native trees will
offset this carbon emission. On the average, a private vehicle emits
2.4 kg of carbon dioxide per liter of fuel used annually and 15
native trees will offset this emission.
By planting trees and bringing
back our forests, carbon dioxide is sequestered and the impacts of
climate change are abated. Forests also provide oxygen that is vital
for our survival and ensure water supply for agriculture, industry
and our household needs. With our growing population and dwindling
forests, it will not be long that we will be fighting over water.
For as little as P75 per tree, we can offset our carbon footprint.
This rainy season, Haribon is preparing a series of tree planting
activities at the Caliraya Watershed. And by joining this we can,
like the Powerpuff Girls, save the world before going to bed.
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